Predator charged with fraud and money laundering after £115,000 ceremony at Sleeping Beauty castle was shut down by horrified staff
The British man arrested for orchestrating a disturbing fake wedding to a nine-year-old girl at Disneyland Paris is a convicted sex offender who’s been dodging UK authorities, French prosecutors revealed today.
The 39-year-old predator was slapped with charges including fraud, breach of trust, money laundering and identity theft on Tuesday after the twisted ceremony shocked staff and guests at the magical kingdom.
What started as a seemingly legitimate £115,000 private event at the iconic Sleeping Beauty castle quickly descended into horror when Disney employees spotted the tiny ‘bride’ – a Ukrainian child who could barely walk in four-inch heels that had been taped to her feet.
“He is registered on the British sex offenders register and is currently wanted at the national level by the judicial authorities of his country of origin,” prosecutors in Meaux confirmed, adding he’d failed to comply with his registration obligations.
The revelation adds a chilling new dimension to Saturday’s bizarre incident, which saw around 100 hired extras unwittingly participate in what they believed was a genuine wedding celebration.
‘Everyone was stunned’
One witness who’d been recruited online to play a wedding guest told investigators they were sickened by the discovery. “We all thought we were going to attend a wedding,” they said. “Everyone was stunned when we realised what was really going on. Disneyland acted extremely professionally – they cancelled everything as soon as they realised the bride was a child.”
The elaborate deception began weeks earlier when the man, described by prosecutors as the “mastermind” of the scheme, approached Disneyland using a false identity. He allegedly posed as a Latvian national and submitted forged documents to secure the venue hire, claiming it was for a legitimate wedding.
Park management, completely unaware of his criminal background or true intentions, agreed to privatise a section of the theme park for several hours before public opening. The dawn ceremony was set against the backdrop of the fairytale castle, complete with white chairs, musicians, a flower-strewn stage and an enormous wedding cake.
But when the nine-year-old appeared on Saturday morning in a white dress, struggling to balance in her oversized heels, alert staff immediately sensed something was terribly wrong.
Mother’s twisted ‘princess’ dream
Perhaps most disturbing is the role of the child’s own mother in the elaborate charade. The 41-year-old Ukrainian woman, who was arrested alongside the fake groom, reportedly told investigators she wanted to give her daughter a “day worthy of a princess.
The pair had arrived in France just two days before the event, according to prosecutors. While the mother has since been released without charge, questions remain about her motivations for participating in such a deeply troubling spectacle.
Also arrested were a 24-year-old Latvian woman who played the role of the bride’s sister, and a 55-year-old Latvian man who’d been hired to portray a family member. The latter reportedly alerted staff after discovering at the last minute that the bride was a child, having been promised €12,000 for his participation.
Social media stunt gone wrong
The prosecutor said investigations showed the “marriage” was in fact “a fictitious ceremony intended to be filmed privately”. The entire event was allegedly planned as content for social media, with organisers specifically requesting that Disneyland keep the affair “confidential.”
Extras had been recruited through online advertisements seeking 200 adults and 100 children aged between five and 15 for what was described as a wedding “rehearsal.” They were bussed in from central Paris at 5am and given pink bracelets reading “bride and groom.
“We were not told at any time that it was about a film shoot,” one participant revealed. Many only realised something was amiss when they spotted the child bride being carried in her mother’s arms.
Disney’s swift response
Disneyland Paris raised the alarm when they realized a wedding at the park, with 100 guests, involved a 9-year-old bride. The theme park’s management acted decisively once the deception was uncovered, immediately shutting down the event and preventing any more guests from entering.
“A private event planned in our destination was immediately cancelled by our teams after the identification of important irregularities,” Disneyland Paris said in a statement. The company has since filed a formal complaint and is cooperating fully with the investigation.
A medical examination confirmed the young girl had not been subjected to any violence or coercive acts. However, the psychological impact of being dressed as a bride and paraded before strangers remains deeply concerning.
Justice delayed
The British suspect and the 24-year-old Latvian woman who helped organise the event remain in custody as French authorities continue their investigation. The man is currently wanted by British authorities for failing to comply with his obligations as a registered sex offender.
While initial reports suggested the man was 22, prosecutors have confirmed he is actually 39 years old and had gone to extreme lengths to disguise his appearance for the event. He’d been “professionally made up to look completely different from himself,” according to Jean-Baptiste Bladier, a public prosecutor in Meaux.
The case has raised serious questions about background checks for those booking private events at family venues. How a known sex offender on the run from British justice was able to hire one of Europe’s most visited theme parks using false documents is now under intense scrutiny.
As the investigation continues, one thing remains clear: what was meant to be the happiest place on Earth became the setting for a deeply disturbing deception that’s left witnesses, staff and investigators equally horrified.
The fake groom is due to appear before an investigating judge on Monday, where prosecutors will request he be placed under judicial supervision as the full extent of this twisted plot continues to unfold.
